Dear Mr. Cornwell,
Although my education virtually finished in 1939, (I have no qualifications whatsoever),nevertheless I acquired a love of English history. I don’t make a point of reading fiction on the subject, but I find your work so enjoyable. My son bought ‘Waterloo’ as my Christmas present last year and I, as the saying goes, couldn’t put it down. At present I am enjoying ‘The Grail Quest’, in which Thomas of Hookton travels to Puddletown in Dorset.
In 1948 I was stationed in an army camp in Piddlehinton and frequently walked to Puddlettown for a pint; it was all a private’s pay could afford! I was informed by the locals that the original name was ‘Piddletown’ but changed to avoid embarrassment. I consulted Wikipedia which states that the name was probably changed in the 19th. Century but not officially sanctioned until the late 1950s.
Please tell me that, in spite of your incredible research and knowledge, this pathetic creature has discovered an error.
Yours sincerely,
Alfred MacQuillin.